Lubricator



May 28, 1929.- E. B. OLIVER Y wanxcnon Filed April 28, 1926 flmratlimww Patented May 28, 1929.

; UNITED .s'r

res "PATEL EVERETT B. OLIVER, QFI'CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LUBRIcATOR.

Application filed April as; 1926. Serial rim-105,183.

This invention relates to lubricators, and

more. particularly to lubricators for the valve mechanism and pistons of locomotive and other types of steam engines.

5 One of the objects of the invention is the provisionof new and improved lubricator' mechanlsm for delivering a lubricant to the valve mechanism and piston of alocomotlve by-gravlty.

0 Another object of the invention is the provision of av lubricator provided with new and will positively feed lubricant toa duct or' passageleading downwardly into the valve chamber of a steam engine.

A still further object of the=invention is the provision of a new and-improved lubricator that is cheap to bled, positive in action mum number ofmoving in operation and that isbroken or get out of order. p

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional cylinder .and valve chest of a locomotive, showing the invention in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of'Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

parts, that is eflicient g. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;-and' Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of a modified form of It has-been proposed tofprovide an oil .0 reservoir and a valve mechanism for permittingthe lubricant to pass by gravity into theivalve chamber, but in this device the reservoir was located in the cab, and hence necessitated the use of long conduits for con- 5 ducting the oil to the chamber, and in cold weather the operation of the device was unsatisfactory because the oil would congeal in the passages. i 7

It is the common practice to supply alubricant to the valve chamber of steam engines .by force feed, but this arrangement consumes manufacture, easily assemcomposed of a-.m1n1-;.

not likely to become the device, taken on a reduced scale.

en'd of th'et'ubef17 il ana considerable power and necessitates the use of complicatedmechanism. The present ar rangement-maintains the lubricant in a fluid state and eliminate's'the necessity of employing me'ans'for forcing the lubricant into the; V It also greatly simplifies the mechanism necessary for lubricating the pis valve chamber.

ton and valve bearings. I

In order toillustrate the application of one embodiment ofthe invention, there is shown,

at 10 and 11 a cylinder and steam ches't' 01'? valve chamber respectively "of a locomotive,

although it is understood that the lubricator maybe employe'donotherj types of engines equally as well as on the locomotive.

The lubricator 12 is preferably attached to l the upper side of fthevalve chamber 11 and 7 comprises a receptacle 13 which "mayv be of any desired shapeiin cross-section, that shown being rectangular, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The lower end or bottomof thereceptacle' 13 is I l provided with athreaded boss or projection to be s-crewed in'toa cor-Q 14 which is adapted responding opening 15 in the-upper wall of the valve chamber 11 (see"Fig.'3) I Theprojection let-is provided withabore 16in which is secured'apipe 17: eXtending upwardly 1 This pipe, being 'secured in the wallof theflvalve chamber-,is'

within said receptacle. 1

constantly filled with live steam under boiler bl'essurc, and consequently will heat the lubri'-:

cant in the reservoir and maintain the same in a liquid'state as will presently appear.

The receptacle is'provi'ded with a lid or closure 18 whichmayibe and preferably is I screwed into 'the'upper end of thelrec'ept aclel which is drawn in at'the corners to form a round upper portion for-receiving the same; The lid may be provided with aprojection 19,

which is preferably though-not necessarily provided with an opening2l. forreceivinga 7 tool for turning the lid Ioraclosure 18.

are provided on the upper Suitable means for transferring the lubri cant from the receptacle conveys steam into the receptacle where-it is to the tube .17. In. I order to maintain the lubricant at a level above the top of said tube the means for trans ferring the lubricant is soconstructe'd that it f condensed, and being heavier than the lubri;

cant will'sinktothe bottom,thus"maintain-' -1 the end portions of the cylinder 10, whereby admitted'to and the cylinder 22 In'theoperation of the device, the receping the level of the lubricant above the end of the pipe. In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention a reciprocating mechanism is employed for this purpose.

As shown, a valve mechanism 21 is mounted on the upper end of the pipe 17. This mech anism comprises a head or cylinder 22 having anopening 23in its under surface in which the upper end of the pipe 17 is secured. Preferably, though not necessarily, has its upper end reduced and screw-threaded whereby it may be inserted through the opening 16 and screwed into the cylinder and into the screw-threaded opening in the. projection 14,- simultaneously. I

The cylinder 22 is provided with one or more openings24 on its upper surface for the admission of lubricant, asfwill presently appear. 1 As shown, two openings are employed-so that the device will be double acting. The cylinder 22 is provided witha piston, 25 which is adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder. The piston is provided with a pair of annular, grooves 26 so arranged that when the piston is at'fone' end. of the cylinder one of thegrooves will register with one of the openings in theupperwall and the other will register with'the opening leading to the tube 17 and vice versa. 1 The ends of the piston are'preferably provided with rings orother packing 27 for-preventing the escape of steam past the same.

are closed by screw-threaded, apertured plugs 34. Packing 35 may :be inserted between 'The ends of the cylinder 22 shoulders; on said plugs and the ends of'the wing escape of steam. v a I 'Means'are providedfor automatically re-i ciprocatingthe piston 25. 'As' shown, pipes 28 are secured to the plugs 34 and have their lowerends secured in suitable openings 29 in when steam is alternately exhausted from the ends of the cylinder 10 itwill be simultaneously admitted to and exhausted froln the corresponding ends of for reciprocating the piston 25.

tacle 13 is filled with a level above the pipe nism 21. Thesteam in a suitable lubricant to the pipe 17 will main- As steam cylinder 10 and exhausted therefrom it will likewise be admitted alternately into and exhausted from the ends of the cylinder 22,

- thus reciprocating will sink the piston 25. When one of the grooves 26 is moved into register with an opening 24 the steam contained therein willexpand and escapethrough said opening into the receptacle, and being condensed into the-mass of lubricant, thus replacing the lubricantthat has been taken away by the other opening. When the steam charging steam into the pipe 17.

'until the oil is exhausted.

water-is removed fromithe receptacle cylinder .22 asshown n- Fig. 2, for prevent useful during abnormal 17- and valve mocha- V lsteam due to the same dllIlIlg'ltS operation.

valves 43 and 44 in the pipes opened, steam from the steam chest'willopen has escaped the lubricant enters the opening and when the piston is moved in the opposite direction into alinement with the pipe 17 the pressure on the lubricant in said opening becomes equalized,'-that is, it becomes that ofthe steam within the pipe 17, consequently the lubricant is free to flow by gravity down into the pipe 17; By employing two grooves 26 in the piston25, as shown, one will be disthe reservoir and re ceiving an increment of lubricant whilethe other will be discharging lubricant into the pipe 17 and receiving an increment of steam under pressure, and vice versa. Furthermore, the pressure of the steam in the grooves -will be the'same all around the piston, thus roviding a substantially balanced valve.

Should the lubricant for any reason. be

removed faster than it is replaced by con- Theiwater from the condensed steam will 1 continue to rise in the receptacle,"tlius maintainiug" the oil level above the cylinder 22 In practice'the through a'cock29 from time to time and'ar fresh supply of oil added as occasion may re uire. i

It will be noted that with this arrangement, when the engine 1s not operating there is no 40 and 41, each of whichisiin eommunica tion with'one of said pipes 28-at one'of its ends and has its other end the openings or peep holes 42 in said chest. Valves 43 and 44 may be inserted in the pipes 40 and 41 for closing said pipes. ikewisc the pipes 28 are provided with valvesf45 and 46 -forclosing'said pipes.

The passages or pipes 40 and 4l. are only.

operation of the lo comotive piston, as when the packing blows out and there is-coiisi'ler'able back pressure of ing conditions the peep holes 42 would be covered by the valve, but when the packing: blows out, or for other reasons the steam leakspast the piston, the valve is set to make longer strokes and under those conditions these ports or openings are uncovered. Then ifthe valves 45 and '46 in'the'pines 28 be closed'andthe ate the" oil distributing valve-25 independent-o ly ofthe operation of the locomotive piston.

lubricant being supplied :to the valve cham- 11 as by means of'the'pipes secured in one of j leaking past the piston Under normal operat- 40 and i1 In assembling the form ofthe' device shown-r ervoir at a predetermined height.

' plugs 38 be threaded in the ends into the on the drawing, the piston is placed in osition and the lu s 34 are inserted. The P 7 P 2:: q tubelt ,WlllCll has the diameter of 1ts uoper V end reduced, is inserted through the opening 16 and simultaneously screwed into the opening 16 and head or cylinder 22. The projection 14 is now screwed in the opening 15 and the pipes 28 attached.

In the modified form ofthe device shown in Fig. 4, the cylinder 36 is a separate element and is secured in position gaskets 39 being used between the ends of the cylinder 36 and the inner walls of the receptacle 37 to prevent the escape of steam. The openings 48 through the side walls of the re ceptacle 37 are not threaded, whereby the walls may be clamped the slight resiliency this clamping action.

While in this form of the device the cylinder 36 is clamped between the side walls of the receptacle, it is understood that the cylinder may extend through the walls and the thereof, with suitable packing between the shoulders 49 on the one hand, and walls of the receptacle on the other;

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the construction and operation .of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Ina lubricating device for a steam engine, a single reservoir adapted to contain a reserve supply of lubricant and having a projection adapted to be secured. in the wall of a valve chamber,- said projection being provided with a passage leading into said reservoir, apipe rigidly secured in .said passage and extending upwardly into said reservoir and means movable in one direction to deliver an increment of lubricant from said reservoir into said pipe, and movable in the opposite direction to deliver an increment of steam into said reservoir from said pipe where it is condensed for maintaining the liquid level in said resof the walls permitting .2. A lubricating device for a steam engine comprising a single lubricant reservoir adapted to contain a reserve supply of lubricant, having a passage through its lower wall,

a' pipe extending upwardly from said passage lnto said reservoir for delivering steam same whereby the condensate will maintain the lubricant at a predetermined level, a head on said pipe, and a valve member movably mounted in said head for intermittently conveying oil from said reservoir by the plugs 38,.

level in said reservoir against the ends of the cylinder by the shoulders 49 on the plugs 38,

the'ends of the cylinder and the spirit upper end of said ing oil in liquid form from said reservoir to said pipe and for conducting steam from said pipe to said reservoir where it is condensed into said passage and for controlling the flow of steam into said reservoir. 1 I

3. A lubl' icatingdevice comprising a lubricant. reservoir having a passage through its wall,- a pipesecured in said'passage and extendingupwardly within said reservoir, a

opening to said pipe, and steam fromsaid pipe through said opening intosaid reservoir where it condenses for maintaining the liquid at a sufiicient height to entersaid opening, a piston having a recess therein slidably mounted in said head, and means for conductingsteam only ton for reciprocating the same.

4 A lubricating device comprising a reser voir having a member extending into said reservoir, said member and the Wall of said '70 head on'sa-id pipe,said head'having apertures vtherein for conducting a lubricant from said to said pisreservoir being'provided witha passage lead-' ing to the exterior of said reservoir, said member being provided at its upper end with a transverse open ng, a piston shdabl'y mounted in said opening forcontrolling the supply of lubricant to said passage and for conducting steam from said passage to said reservoir, means for supplying steam alternately to the ends of said piston for reciproeating the same, and means for automatical ly maintaining the oil in said reservoir at a substantially constant level.

5. In combination,an engine cylinder pro- I vided with an opening through thewall adjacent eachend thereof, a valve chamber above said cylinder, a reservoir for contain-1 ing a lubricant, said reservoir being secured to said chamber and provided with an element extending into said chamber, said ele ment being provided with a passage leading from said reservoir into said chamberfor conducting the lubricant to said chamber and for supplying steam to said reservoir where it is condensed for maintaining the liquid level in said reservoir at height. v i

6. In combination, a valve-chamber for asteam engine, a reservoir secured in one Wall of said chamber,

with said chamber in said reservoir,

a predetermined and extending upwardly pipe, a piston for conductfor maintaining the liquid level in said reser ciprocating the same.

7. In combination, a valve chamber, alubricant receptacle of said chamber, a in said receptacle,

secured in the upper wall pipe extending upwardly a cylinder at the upper end of said pipe, said cylinder having a pair of openings in its upper wall, a piston having a pipe in communication a cylinder mounted on the I apair of grooves about the same and so arranged that When one groove registers with 'densed'for maintaining the liquid level in, said receptacle at a predetermined height,

one of said openings for receiving lubricant from sald receptacle and fordlscharging steam into said receptacle Where 1t 1s conthe other groove will register with said pipe for delivering lubricant to said pipe and receiving steam to deliver to said receptacle 10 and pipes for alternately conducting steam to the ends of said cylinder for operatingtlie same. V r

In testimony whereof I afilX my signature;

"EVERETT B. OLIVER. 

